Delayed opening package



Feb. 7, 1967 5' KENNEDY ET AL 3,302,819

DELAYED OPENING PACKAGE Filed Sept. 10, 1964 M, w% mmw WK V MQJMM h w a 3% 3 United States Patent Ofifice 3,302,819 Patented Feb. 7, 1967 3,302,819 DELAYED OPENING PACKAGE Simon M. Kennedy, Waurika, Okla, and James 0. Pilcher II, Aberdeen, Md., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Sept. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 395,629 6 Claims. (Cl. 220-4) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a delayed opening package and more particularly to a package for releasing a balloon at high altitude.

Balloons used for tests at high altitudes or for lauching into orbit are generally placed in partially deflated condition in a package which, in turn, is stowed in the forward section of the nose cone of a rocket. The rocket is launched into space and thepackage is ejected from the rocket when its destination is reached. The balloon is inflated by its inflating mechanism and its expansion forces open the package and the balloon is then released therefrom to become airborne.

Before the balloon is released from the package, it is obvious that the package must be propelled away from the rocket to prevent damage to the balloon as it inflates. Thus a delayed opening of the package was necessary to prevent premature opening of the package before it cleared the rocket.

The present invention controls the moment of opening of a package by providing a spring loaded type handle, normally held closed by a releasable base member, which when free will rotate 90 to open a latch and permit the package to open.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to release a balloon from its vehicle at high altitude without damage to the balloon.

It is another object to provide a delayed opening package for releasing a balloon at high altitudes.

A still further object is to provide a delayed opening package in which a spring loaded pendulum type handle swings through a 90 arc to provide a delay in opening the package.

A final object of this invention is to provide a delayed opening package, simple of construction and positive of operation.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the delayed opening package of this invention and is illustrated in its closed position;

FIG. 2 is a similar view, the package being shown in open position;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the package and looking in the direction of the arrows 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG; 5 is an exploded view of the rear hinge;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the forward latch and the notched shaft; and,

FIG. 7 is a detail section taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, reference character 1 designates the package generally.

Package 1 comprises a diametrically divided tubular container forming halves 2 and 3.

Each half is provided with a pair of spaced guide rails 4 and 5 for a purpose to be described later.

A rearwardly disposed hinge is shown in perspective in FIG. 5 and is indicated generally by 6. Hinge 6 is comprised of two semicircular sections 7 and 8. Section 7 is fitted in the rearward end of half 2, while section 8 is fitted in the rearward end of half 3. Sections 7 and 8 are notched as at 9 and 10, respectively, so that each section, when the package 1 is assembled, will interlock.

A base cap 11 is provided to fit over the ends of sections 7 and 8 when the package is assembled. A spring 12 carried by cap 11 will normally bias against the ends of hinge 6 when the package 1 is assembled.

A forward disposed latch assembly is shown in FIG. 6 and is indicated generally by 13. Latch 13 comprises a semicircular female section 14 and a semicircular male section 15.

Sections 14 and 15 are fitted into the forward portions of halves 2 and 3, respectively.

Female section 14 is centrally cut out as at 16 and forms an arch or bridge with the leg portions 17 and 18 which are bored as at 19 and 20. Bores 19 and 20 are aligned.

Male section 15 is provided with a central boss 21 which is bored as at 22 and recessed tangent to the bore on either side as at 37. A cut out is provided as at 23.

A notched shaft 24 having a medially disposed notch 25 and square bosses 26 at each end is adapted to be passed through bores 19 and 2t and bore 22 to normally hold the half sections 14 and 15 together when the package is assembled. The medially disposed notch 25 must be narrow enough to allow the notched shaft 24 to slidewithin the recession 37 of central boss 21.

A pendulum type handle, indicated generally by reference character 27 comprises a narrow, elongated tongue 28 which merges into a semicircular hooded portion 29. The hooded portion fits over the forward portion of half 2 and is provided with downwardly depending ears 30 which are provided with square openings 31. Square bosses 26 are keyed in sqaure openings 31 so that when handle 27 is rotated about the bosses26, shaft 24 is rotated therewith.

Each ear 31 is provided with an arcuate cut-out portion 32 which defines a shoulder 33.

A pin 34 is fixed on each side of half 2 (only one being shown) bears against cut-out portion 32 and acts as a stop with shoulder 33 to prevent rotation of handle 27 beyond an arc of Means are provided to bias handle 27 towards its open position and consists of a torsional spring 35 having one end held by a pin 36 in the side of half 2, the other end of the spring 35 being in engagement with the under edge of hooded portion 29'of handle 27. If desired, another spring may be arranged on the other side of package 1 to increase the bias on the handle 27.

In operation, a partially deflated balloon (not shown) is housed between the halves 2 and 3. The package halves 2 and 3 are then closed and handle 27 is rotated 90 to its closed position. Base cap 11 is then placed over the ends of the package 1 and the tip of tongue 28 of handle 27. (See FIG. 1).

Now the package 1 is placed in its surface to air vehicle (not shown). This may be a nose cone of a rocket or like missile. Guide rails 4 and 5 serve as locators for the package 1 and assist the package 1 in maintaining a straight projection out of the nose cone when fired therefrom.

The base cap 11 will be in contact with whatever force that ejects package 1 from the nose cone and also will act to retain the handle 27 in a closed position momentarily after ejection of the package.

The package 1 may be held in its firing or ejecting position by any suitable device (not shown).

Once the package 1 has been ejected from the nose cone of the rocket (not shown), and the ejecting force has decreased, spring 12 will push the basecap 11 free and also release handle 27. Torsional spring (or springs) 35 causes handle 27 to rotate through an arc of 90 (see FIG. 2). Since shaft 24 is keyed to handle 27 by square bosses 26, shaft 24 will also be rotated 90.

The balloon (not shown) will inflate, due to a timing inflation means (not shown) and cause 2 and 3 to push apart.

Latch 13 will be separated due to notch 25 which permits shaft 24 to ride out of the cut-out portion 23.

Upon a very slight separation of latch 13 rear hinge 6 will separate. Now the balloon will be free to leave its package 1 and become airborne.

The time delay incorporated into package 1 is the sum total of the time elapsing for the base cap 11 to be ejected from the package 1 plus the time elapsing for handle 27 to rotate through an arc of 90. This time delay can obviously be varied by changing the moment of inertia of handle 27.

While the package 1 of this invention is especially adaptable for releasing balloons, it can also be used to deliver almost anything into high altitudes. The only requirement is that there be an internal force within the package sufficient to push the release latch apart. This could readily be accomplished by the use of springs, etc. Even explosive charges could be used.

Variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concept of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A delayed opening package for delivering an article at high altitude comprising a bisected container, a base member encircling the rearward ends of said container, a forward latch holding the forward ends of said container together and a handle attached to said latch and held in a locked position by said base member, said handle adapted to unlock said latch when released by said base member whereby said bisected container is parted to release said article.

2. A delayed opening package for delivering an article into high altitude comprising a diametrically divided tubular container, a latch mechanism normally retaining the forward portion of said divided container in assembled relation, a base member encircling the rearward portion of said divided container together, and a rotatable member normally held in locked position by said base member when said package is in closed position, said rotatable member rotating to open said latch upon sepa- 4 ration of said base member from said container whereby said container will be opened to release said article therefrom.

3. A delayed opening package for delivering an article into high altitude comprising a pair of semicircular containers, a first separable means holding the rearward ends of said semicircular containers in assembled position, a second separable means holding the forward ends of said semicircular containers in assembled position, a handle connected at one of its ends to said second separable means and a base member adapted to encircle the rearward ends of said semicircular members and normally hold said handle in a position whereby said second separable means are prevented from separating.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said first separable means comprises a pair of semicircular sections, each of said sections being fixed in the rearward end of said semicircular container and each of said sections having a notch extending along its diametrical edge, said notches on said sections adapted to interlock to hold said semicircular sections in assembled position.

5. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second separable means comprises a semicircular female section having a cut-out disposed medially of its diametrical edge forming a pair of leg portions, there being a pair of aligned bores arranged, one each, in each of said leg portions; a semicircular male section having a boss rising medially from its diametrical edge thereof, there being a bore through said boss and a 90 cut-out in its forward upper corner; and a cylindrical shaft having a medially disposed notch therein, there being an integral boss on each end of said shaft adapted to be keyed in said handle whereby said shaft will rotate therewith, said handle adapted to rotate said shaft from a locked position in said bores in said female section, said male section and said boss to an unlocked position therein.

6. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said base member comprises a cup having a spring fixed therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 806,885 12/1905 Focht 220 X 2,057,720 10/1936 Kasdan et al. 206-56 2,997,198 8/1961 Hooker 2204 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

G. E. LOWRANCE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DELAYED OPENING PACKAGE FOR DELIVERING AN ARTICLE AT HIGH ALTITUDE COMPRISING A BISECTED CONTAINER, A BASE MEMBER ENCIRCLING THE REARWARD ENDS OF SAID CONTAINER, A FORWARD LATCH HOLDING THE FORWARD ENDS OF SAID CONTAINER TOGETHER AND A HANDLE ATTACHED TO SAID LATCH AND HELD IN A LOCKED POSITION BY SAID BASE MEMBER, SAID HANDLE ADAPTED TO UNLOCK SAID LATCH WHEN RELEASED BY SAID BASE MEMBER WHEREBY SAID BISECTED CONTAINER IS PARTED TO RELEASE SAID ARTICLE. 